NWA Promo Fares

[kikc69 45]

It is 3:00 am and I was up and decided to check on latest prices for flights to LOS in January 2005. Northwest just started a promo fare. I have a roundtrip ticket from Minneapolis to Bangkok for $461.50 total cost. Only big drawback is you do not earn frequent flyer miles. I also checked from Los Angeles to LOS roundtrip it is $374.00. I decided the hell with the miles and took the cheap flight. Fly from MSP to Portland change planes, take the new Airbus to Narita and Airbus to Bangkok. Flying back it is Bangkok to Narita and Narita straight into MSP. Pretty good price I think. Not sure how long promo will last but it said must book by Dec 2005. It is still a long ways off but I am set. Now just counting the days. 118 days

[Zeus 56]

This is their cash and miles plan, I think (If not, show me a link to the offer so that I may buy a ticket). The $374 LAX-BKK also costs 20,000 miles. That is a great deal if you just have the miles around and want a better fare. However if you have NWA FF elite status (or trying to get there), the benefits of taking the same flight at the discount price(and earning the miles), are more.

 

Examples (LAX-BKK):

 

Cash and miles: $ 374 +20000 Mi ($0.015/mi) = $674 (still better than the best NW discount fare of $787), but thats also 37000 miles that a Plat. elite would give up because miles weren't earned(equivalent value at $0.015/mi = $555). This could be as low as $250 for non elite FF. Total cost =$674 + $555 or $250 = $1229 (elite), $924 (non-elite).

 

Compare that to a flight booked as a FF award for business class: 90,000 miles buys a $3500 seat (not that I would ever pay this fare). If the $787 was paid instead of using cash and miles, I would have 57000 miles (37K +20K) toward this goal. Almost enough (60K) to fly free in economy, if you wanted to. However, I like to save up for the 90K bus. class seat. It is more of a treat for the miles you have earned. You also get more value per mile ($3500/90K = $0.039/mi vs. an average of $0.015/mi)

 

All that said, miles are only valuable if you can use them, and BKK is sometimes a tough destination to get. But I would rather earn them than not. BTW - My free business class flight to the LOS is in November - Thanks to NW FF miles.

 

So consider what you are giving up, when "cash and miles" offers are given. This is why the airlines offer them. Of course, it really comes down to everyone's own personal situation. It works for some and for some it does not.

 

Keep the beer cold and the women hot! 54 Days,

 

Zeus

[kikc69 45]

I guess it is similar to a cash and miles plan in that you do not earn miles from the flight. But you do not have to spend any of your miles that you have for the ticket. I debated which way I wanted to go. Last July it cost me $1200 for a ticket. I earned 18000 miles. This ticket cost a total of $460.00. But will not earn any miles. Looking to save a quick buck this way.

[Zeus 56]

I have not seen any offer of this type on NW (or any other) site. PLEASE show it to us. If it is real I would like to see it, and I'm sure others would benefit as well.

[Scatter 2]

Kikc69 - you lucky bastard. Seems like you were one of the few who got this "mistake" fare from NW. Sounds like it was only on-line for 12 to 18 hours.

[kikc69 45]

I am not sure what is going on with the fare. I found it online once and took it. Then it was gone. Later I checked and it was back again. Now I just looked and it is not there. This is how the fare appeared when I found it the second time. I copied it and here is the paste of what it was.

461.50 airfare Promo Fare

Northwest Airlines 589

 

Booking Class(es): K

Fare Basis Codes: K14CASH

Ticket Designators: PD333

Fri, Jan 14

3hr 46min

9:10am Depart Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)

10:56am Arrive Portland (PDX)

Plane Change

 

Northwest Airlines 5

 

Booking Class(es): K

Fare Basis Codes: K14CASH

Ticket Designators: PD333

Fri, Jan 14

10hr 50min

12:15pm Depart Portland (PDX)

4:05pm Arrive Tokyo (NRT)

Plane Change

 

Northwest Airlines 27

 

Booking Class(es): K

Fare Basis Codes: K14CASH

Ticket Designators: PD333

Sat, Jan 15

7hr 15min

6:35pm Depart Tokyo (NRT)

11:50pm Arrive Bangkok (BKK)

 

 

 

Northwest Airlines 28

 

Booking Class(es): K

Fare Basis Codes: K14CASH

Ticket Designators: PD333

Fri, Jan 28

5hr 45min

6:00am Depart Bangkok (BKK)

1:45pm Arrive Tokyo (NRT)

Plane Change

 

Northwest Airlines 20

 

Booking Class(es): K

Fare Basis Codes: K14CASH

Ticket Designators: PD333

Fri, Jan 28

10hr 55min

3:00pm Depart Tokyo (NRT)

10:55am Arrive Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)

 

I do not know if it was a screw up or not. Someone said they called Northwest and they did not know anything about it. I do know that I have a confirmation number and do not think they can take it back.

[LeoTex 29]

Zeus,

 

You are correct about which way to travel works out the best, in the long run. My second trip this year was Business going over and coach coming back using miles. I got a last minute bump to Business from BKK to Toyko, because coach was over booked. I also got a upgrade from Toyko back to the states using miles.

 

My trip next month is one of the 'cash and miles' offers from Northwest. Cost $439 and 20,000 miles R/T from Houston to BKK. I also got two R/T tickets for me and a friend in December using miles. My ticket will be busines and his coach, but hey, they are my miles. I will loose all my 'elite' status after Feb 2005 because of not earning mile when using miles. I will miss the 125% bonus miles. I have tried for the last few years to find a trip just using miles, but could never find one. So when they opened up this year I took advantage and booked the flights. I will have to start over next year with the 'elite' program. The way I look at it, I couldn't make the extra trips this year without the free ones.

 

Ticket Designators: PD333

 

This is one of Northwest codes for a special. I remember last year a special came up on the Northwest website for a R/T, Houston to BKK for only $697, and BTW, you earned the miles. I called Northwest to book, because I didn't like the way they paired up the out going and return. They had 6 or 7 different paired R/T listed at that special price and I wanted to use one going and a different one to return since they were all listed at the same price. When I had 'elite' reservation on the phone they didn't show the same price and the cheapest price they had was $1073. While I was talking to reservations, I pulled up the special and after she checked with Northwest internet department, told me that it was a internet only special and had to be booked on line. While still having her on the line I hit the buy button and got the ticket for the special price. In just a few minutes she saw the flight and price and made my seat reservations. The next day I told a friend about the special, but it was gone and never was listed again.

 

Sometimes you need to check several time a day when you have your dates and hope a good price pops up.

 

LeoTex

[saigon_butterfly 1]

Just wondering if NW will accept Continental miles for their cash and miles program. Used up all me NW miles and now trying to tap into some Cont. miles. Later, SB